"I gotta say," Pinkie Pie admitted to herself, Applejack and Wayfarer. "I feel kind of self conscious about this festival. I mean, I've thrown some pretty big parties, but nothing like this."

"Well if every party you threw was this big Pinkie," Wayfarer pointed out. "You'd probably be arrested for being a menace to society. As it is, you're just hoofing the line."

"Gotta agree with Wayfarer on this one," Applejack chimed in. "If I'm being honest though, this festival couldn't have come to town at a worse time. Harvest season is starting soon and my family needs to sell off our remaining stock to make room for the new crop."

"I'm beginning to see why people laughed at the idea of me moving here to try and get some peace and quiet." Wayfarer sighed, shaking his head. "If the town isn't in danger then there's a party going on. And if neither of those are happening, then someone is dealing with personal drama that I somehow get ropped into."

"But we rope you into it because you're just so good at listening!" Pinkie said happily, pouncing at Wayfarer's neck to give him a big hug. "That's why we like you silly! Hey, you should be the town shrink!"

"No thank you." Wayfarer pushed Pinkie off him with an annoyed look. "I like you guys, but I think you deserve a professional doctor, and not just a really good friend who will listen."

"What?" Applejack snorted. "You think none of us are right in the head? I'd say I'm pretty well adjusted all things considered."

"AJ, no one is completely right in the head. But I will say that out of all of our friends, you've got a pretty good handle on things."

"Mighty kind of you to say Wayfarer," Applejack said, tipping her hat. "But I'd say Rarity and Twilight are pretty solid too."

"Rarity, maybe. Twilight... well, you weren't there when her Shadow manifested. I do worry about her sometimes. Especially when she needs to address her Princess duties."

"Like right now?" Pinkie asked, pointing over to the other side of the plaza.

Through the crowd, the three of them could spot Twilight, four royal Guards, and the Changeling from the other day, Chitin. It looked as though she was talking animatedly with the bug pony, and occasionally she would stop and Chitin would respond with a short answer, at which point Twilight would start up again. Her excitement was understandable, this was the first docile Changeling she, or possibly anyone in Equestria, had ever seen. So as long as Shining Armor wasn't going to clap them in irons and drag them back to Canterlot, Twilight was going to have only a few more days to satiate her curiosity about the race. The four guards with her were a little more excessive than the one Chitin was required to have if they were going to walk around the festival unbothered, but Wayfarer suspected that was on Shining's orders just for Twilight's protection. Twilight didn't seem to mind though, which did surprise Wayfarer a little bit, as she always seemed to resent the idea of a personal guard following her. The chance at discovering new information was probably overshadowing that little pet peeve of hers.

"That's different," Applejack said, looking slightly disgusted about the changeling. "That's not her being 'Twilight Sparkle: Princess of Equestria.' That's her being 'Twilight Sparkle: Egg Head.' And that's the Twilight who we know and love. And even if she's had some... 'episodes' in the past, she's alright now."

"But 'Twilight Sparkle: Princess of Equestria' is still part of who she is," Wayfarer said. "And that's the part that worries me."

"Talking behind your friends' back like that seems a little rude if you ask me," said mare as she joined the three of them. Wayfarer recognized her as Hourglass, one of the TAROT Performers from Monday's opening act.

"And eavesdropping seems even more rude," Applejack said with annoyance. "What do you want?"

"Just wanted to say hi, and ask if you were enjoying the Fes, I do apologize for overhearing you."

"The fez?" Pinkie Pie asked. "What fez? I'm not wearing a fez. If there's a fez, then somepony should be wearing it. Fez's are cool."

Hourglass chuckled at that before correcting Pinkie. "No, not 'fez' with a Z, I'm talking about 'fes' with an S! 'FES', as in Festival? You get it?"

"Oooohhhhhhhh," Pinkie said, then after a moment tilted her head in confusion. "I don't get it."

"It's cool, not everyone does. So, you three having fun?"

"Oh yeah! Loads of fun!" Pinkie shouted, bouncing around a bit. "I'm the resident party planner and this is supper dupper work you guys have done!"

"Well it's nice to know we have the stamp of approval from Ponyville's party animal! Right on girl!" Hourglass beamed as she held up a hoof in the familiar gesture of asking for a 'Hoof bump,' which Pinkie happily obliged to. She then turned to look at Wayfarer and Applejack. "What about you two? How are you enjoying the Fes?"

"Well it is a lot of fun," Applejack said hesitantly. "But I got a business to run, and all my customers are here at your little get together. If I don't sell the rest of my apples by the end of the month, that's gonna be a heavy loss for my family."

Hourglass looked like she'd just gotten slapped in the face. Wayfarer was about to tell Applejack that there's such a thing as being too honest, and Applejack herself looked to be ready to apologize, but before any of them could do anything, Hourglass' expression went from hurt to determined. She quickly looked around the crowd and, spotting who she was looking for, bolted off. Within moments she was dragging back a very confused looking Court Drama.

"Hourglass?" The elderly stallion stuttered. "What in blazes?"

"Bank book," she said. "Now. We're buying our food rations in apples this month."

"Oh you don't need to-" Applejack started.

"Shut up and take my money!" Hourglass shouted.

"Pretty sure it's my money," Court mumbled as he fished out a ledger from his side bag. "How many barrels can you spare miss Applejack?"

"Shoot, I'm actually trying to get rid of them." Applejack explained her situation again.

With a nod, Court Drama wrote something down in his ledger and gave it to Hourglass. "Go give this to the Quartermaster, then round up some stallions who aren't busy and bring them over to Applejack's stall with whatever money the QM gives you. Buy as many apples as you can with it and bring them back to the fridge wagon. And be quick about it, you're next performance is in an hour."

"Thank you sir!" Hourglass saluted at Court Drama, took the ledger, then pulled him into a hug. She then grabbed onto Applejack and started pulling her away. "C'mon Miss Jack, let's find some strapping young stallions to watch us girls do all the heavy lifting!"

"Say what now?" Applejack said before being dragged off.

Wayfarer and Pinkie just stared off at them in bewilderment.

"Nicest girl I've had the pleasure of teaching," Court Drama said, chuckling with bemusement. "A bit too intense at times, but she's always looking out for everyone. Whelp, enjoy the festival you two."

"Thank you," Wayfarer said, still a little weirded out.

"By Mister Drama!" Pinkie shouted with a wave. "So what do you wanna do now Wayfarer?"

"Well we've seen pretty much everything the 'Fes' has brought in. Three days is sort of the perfect amount of time for this sort of thing, I've no idea how they're going to fill out another three days before everyone gets bored."

"Well duh, haven't you seen the signs everywhere? They're trying to get everyone in Ponyville to try something new, then on the last two days everyone is going to exhibit their stuff!" Wayfarer blanched at that and spun around to look in the direction of the stage, where there was a large sign advertising the closing ceremonies and exhibition. Pinkie continued with a giggle. "We should probably be looking for something to get our hooves dirty in. I'm thinking about learning how to write poetry!"

"You?" Wayfarer scoffed. "A poet?"

"I can write a limerick with the best of them Wayfarer," Pinkie said proudly pulling out a feathered beret from seemingly nowhere and placing it atop her head. "It isn't that strange."

"I guess that's true." Wayfarer wasn't even going to comment on the hat or where it came from.

"Maybe you should try painting or something? You seem really good with your hooves, might be right up your alley."

"Nah, if I'm going to make a fool of myself, I'd like to try something more obscure."

"Alright, but don't get too obscure, I've already staked my claim as Ponyville's biggest weirdo."

"Well at least you admit it. See you Pinkie."

The two waved goodbye to each other and went their separate ways. Wayfarer headed down the same road that they had met Chitin and Vivid Dreams on, finally getting a good look at just what was down that way. The booths there were nothing that extraordinary... save for one at the end. A large blue tent with black stripes caught his attention, something about its familiarity drawing him in. He was a few feet from the flap when he noticed a sign hanging off the front.

Out searching for the Fool, the Sun, the Fortune, the Magician, and the Chariot. If you need your hoof red, there's a painting workshop at 4 O'clock. Also, he's not the one you're looking for, they'll actually be at the painting workshop too.

"Fortune tellers," Wayfarer muttered, shaking his head. "Guess I'll try my hooves at painting then, I guess."